Folding chair



Jan. 13, 1942. l o. E. LUND 2,269,777

FOLDING CHAIR Filed Aug. 4, 19 40 Patented Jan. 13, 1942 ii men STATES ATENT orrlacs FOLDING CHAIR Oscar E. Land, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application August 4, 1940, Serial No. 351,347

2 Claims. (01. 155-147 My invention relates to a foldingchair of the type having pairs of crossed legs, a seatpanel and a backpanel, and the principal objects of my invention are, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of similar folding chairs, further, to provide a folding chair having ample strength and rigidity combined with minimum weight and the construction of the chair being such that it may be easily and quickly opened for use and when folded for storage or transportation, the entire structure being very compact and occupying very little space.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken lengthwise through the chair as the same appears when folded for storage or transportation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal Section taken on the line 5-4 of Fig 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

In the construction of my improved folding chair, two pairs of crossed legs are utilized, each pair comprising straight rails It and II, preferably formed of wood, the members of each pair of rails crossing each other at an intermediate point and the end portions of a transversely disposed rod l2 provide an axis for the swinging movement of the crossed legs. I

The ends of this pivot rod l2 extend through the legs It and into but not entirely through the legs II that are disposed outside the legs Ii). Connecting the lower portions of the legs I l is a transverselydisposed rod or rail l3 and a corresponding rod or rail l4 connects the upper ends of said legs H.

Formed in the upper edges of the rails forming the legs HI! adjacent their lower ends are notches !5 for the accommodation of the rail l4 when the chair is folded.

Seated in the legs It near their upper ends is a transversely disposed rail 16, preferably of wood, and surrounding said rail are metal straps ll that are suitably secured, preferably by means wood, andwhich functions-.asthe chair seat. I prefer to form this seatfrom ply-wood.

Suitably secured to the under side of. the seat l9 adjacentits frontedge is a transversely dis-. posed rail 20 in the rear portion of which is formed a groove 2'! which, when thechair is open for use, receives the rail I4 that connects the upper ends of the legs H.

The seat back 22 comprises a substantially rectangular panel, preferably formed of plywood, and the lower portion of this back is hinged to the upper portions of the legs III just above the rail I6 by means of metal angles 23 that are secured to the seat back by means of bolts or screws 24. Portions of these metal angles project forwardly from the back and bear directly against the faces of washers 24 that are applied to the inner faces of the upper portions of legs 10, and passing through the forwardly projecting portions of these angles and through the washers 24 are screws 25, thus providing an axis upon which the seat back swings.

Connecting the upper ends of the legs Hi and disposed a short distance above the rail l6 and the hinge members 23 is a transversely disposed rail 26 and the ends of a corresponding rail 26a are seated in the legs I!) a short distance below the point where the same cross the legs I I.

When the seat is open, the members of each pair of legs are disposed at angles of approximately ninety degrees apart, with the forward end of the seat panel 19 resting on rail l4 and the latter is positioned in the notch 2| in rail 20.

The seat back 22 occupies a rearwardly inclined upright positionas illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, with the lower end of said back bearing against the transverse rail IE to which the seat is hinged and the rear surface of the lower portion of the seat back a short distance above its lower end bears against the transverse rail 26 that connects the upper ends of legs Ill. Thus when the structure is open, it provides a strong, substantial and comfortable seat.

To fold the chair for storage or transportation, the rail 20 provided with groove 21 is disengaged from rail l4 and the pairs of legs are folded on their axis so that the legs II occupy positions immediately against the outer faces of the legs H], with the ends of the rail I4 positioned in the notches l5. Seat panel 19 is folded downward into position between the pairs of folded legs so that it rests upon the rod 26a and theseat back is now swung downwardly so that it rests directly against the upper surface of the seat [9 (see Fig. 3).

made and substituted for those herein shown.

and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A folding chair comprising a pair of legs, transverse rails connecting the ends of the members of said pair of legs, a second pair of legs '1 pivotally connected intermediate their ends to the intermediate portions of the first mentioned legs, those portions of the second mentioned legs above the axis provided by the pivotal connection being longer than those portions of the first mentioned legs above the axis of pivotal connectlon, a pair of transverse rails connecting the upper ends of the longer upper portions of the second mentioned pair of legs, a seat hinged to the lowermost one of the last mentioned transverse rails, a grooved rail secured to the under side of the forward portion of said seat for receiveing the transverse rail that connects the upper ends of the first mentioned legs when the chair is open and a chair back hinged to the upper ends of the second mentioned legs between the transverse rails that connect the upper portions of said second mentioned legs, the lower portion of which chair back rests against both rails that connect the upper ends of the second mentioned legs when the chair is open.

2. A folding chair as set forth in claim 1 and there being notches formed in the upper edges of the lower portions of the second mentioned legs for the reception of the transverse rail that connects the upper ends of the first mentioned legs when the chair is in folded closed position.

OSCAR E. LUND. 

